Page 71 of The First Spark
“You worried I’ll win?”
“Those are fighting words, Wells,” Grant taunted, stooping to pick up his sword. He flashed a cocky smile. “It’s on.”
Once again, Grant made the first lunge. Zane parried, and the dance went on.
Rain pelted them from all sides. Wind howled past.
The hilt of Zane’s saber grew slippery in his grip. Grant seemed to have the same problem, but Zane kept striking. Anger laced every furious blow, every clanging parry.
Grant matched him step for step, until his heel landed wrong in a patch of mud. The younger guard went down into the muck. It splashed across his clothes, and he swore.
It wasn’t a victory to be proud of. The rain had done his work for him.
“Let’s sit.” Zane gestured to the shed’s covered deck. “Get out of the storm.”
“A little rain doesn’t bother me,” Grant said, but he accepted the hand Zane offered to pull him up. Together, they trudged through the blankets of rain.
Collapsing onto the deck, Zane stretched his muddy legs out over the steps and helped himself to another drink of Grant’s thermos. Grant braced his arms on the deck’s railing and stared into the dark sky. With the curtains of rain and clouds of fog swirling around the shed, it seemed like they existed alone in an endless void.
“Dali doesn’t usually get storms like this, does it?”
“Only near the poles.” Grant rolled his eyes. “All the stupid priestesses are saying it’s a warning from Azura. A bad omen, or something like that. It’s a load of bull, if you ask me, but no one ever does.”
“You don’t believe in Azura?”
Grant tapped his blunted saber against the deck. “If you lived a day of my life, you wouldn’t either.”
“I don’t.” Screwing the cap on the thermos, Zane wiped his mouth. “Where’d you learn to fence?”
“When I went to live with Roth, he thought I needed something to work the anger off. He hired a fencing trainer and everything. I prefer flying, it’s more calming, but sometimes you need to hit something, you know?”
“Yeah. I know.” Zane leaned back, bracing his hands against the damp wooden boards. “You’re close with the Governor, aren’t you?”
“I owe him everything.”
“He alsotookeverything, didn’t he?”
Grant shook his head. “My father cost me my future. Roth gave it back.” He grimaced. “Would’ve given it back.”
“What happened?”
Arcs of lightning shot across the dark gray clouds, then vanished, plunging the field into near-darkness. A lantern dangling from the awning flickered on, casting ghastly yellow glows across Grant’s taut features. He let out a shuddering breath. “You ever let your anger get the best of you? Screw up so badly that the people you love turn their backs on you?”
Shattering glass echoed in Zane’s ears. His mouth went dry at the memory of thumping fists, distorted shouts, and rushed footsteps asshe tried to pull him away from the fight. Then that final, tearful scream:“Get out!”
He couldn’t bring himself to speak, so he nodded.
Grant scuffed his boot against the deck, smearing mud across the wooden planks. “Yeah. It’s like that. A count’s son said some horriblethings about me, so I taught him a lesson.” A vein throbbed in his neck. “I got sent to prison. Roth was pissed. After that, he gave up on trying to get Oakwood back for me, and I took my sentence serving in the Skyforce.”
“Oakwood should’ve been yours to begin with.”
“Avington should’ve been yours. The Duchissa screwed us both over.” Grant leaned against the railing as wind shrieked past them, flinging curtains of rain onto the deck. “What brought you out here?”
“Did you know she plans to declare war?”
Grant shrugged. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“She’s lost her mind,” Zane seethed, rubbing his forehead. “There are hundreds of planets in the Federation, and she thinks she can take on Carik? I won’t follow her into another war. Hell, I don’t think anyone will follow her into another war.”
